Now that we’re officially more than halfway through the year, let’s look back on what we’ve seen so far – and what’s yet to come! Here are a few brands to watch out for on the tail end of this year.
Forgive me for tooting our own horn right out of the gate, but — as we predicted — 2025 has turned out to be a huge year for the watch industry. From price hikes and anniversary celebrations to unexpected releases and emerging trends, the momentum hasn’t let up. Even in the face of a cooling market, the creative minds behind these mechanical marvels are clearly still firing on all cylinders.
It turns out that spreadsheets and market slowdowns haven’t been enough to stifle the sheer level of innovation now coming out of the modern watch world. If you’re curious about my broader take on the state of the industry, be sure to check out my other Halftime article linked below. As always, I’m not going anywhere — so feel free to take your time, whether you’re reading this with your morning coffee or between meetings!
Related Reading: Watch Advice Halftime 2025 – Is The Middle Market Coming Back?
Welcome back! As I was saying, though Every brand this year has come to play, so to speak. But a select few have gone beyond simply releasing new watches. Whether through brilliant design, technical innovation, or just smart, forward-thinking business decisions, these brands haven’t just reclaimed the spotlight — they’ve set a new precedent for what’s to come. So it only feels fitting to highlight the names that have shown the most promise for the rest of the year… and maybe even beyond!
NOMOS
I’ll be the first to admit: I was never the biggest fan of NOMOS Glashütte at the start. I understood the appeal — to a degree. They produce their own in-house movements, boast a patented escapement, and offer it all at a surprisingly reasonable price point. But my personal tastes never quite aligned with the Bauhaus aesthetic, and the long lugs on many of their models gave them a wrist presence that felt… off, at least to me. Still, everyone around me — collectors, friends, colleagues — would constantly praise the remarkable body of work NOMOS had built.
I suppose it didn’t truly click for me until this year’s Watches and Wonders, when NOMOS debuted just one new piece: the Club Sport neomatik Worldtimer. If you’re a regular reader of mine, you’re probably already tired of hearing me gush about this watch — but here we are again, because it genuinely changed the way I see the brand.
While I haven’t yet had the pleasure of speaking directly with the minds behind NOMOS’ timepieces, I get the sense that the Club series was their way of blending the brand’s signature Bauhaus sensibilities with a more contemporary, versatile appeal. And while the Club and Club Campus models certainly made progress on that front, I don’t think anything has landed quite as powerfully as the Club Sport neomatik Worldtimer. With this release, NOMOS has crafted a watch that feels undeniably distinct — but also packs enough horological muscle to stand out as a future classic. Its balanced proportions, in-house movement, and competitive price point have collectively put the spotlight squarely on the Glashütte-based brand. Both this writer and much of the wider watch community are watching closely, eager to see what bold move NOMOS makes next.
Learn more about NOMOS here!
Vacheron Constantin
It might already be obvious — especially given how extensively we’ve covered them this year — but 2025 marks a truly monumental chapter in the story of Vacheron Constantin. A proud member of horology’s consensus “Big Three,” the brand celebrates its record-breaking 270th anniversary as an active watchmaker. To put that in perspective: Vacheron Constantin has been crafting watches longer than many modern nations have existed — Australia included! Their history is so rich and far-reaching that it took both myself and Sam to properly explore it. If you’re keen to dive into their legacy, don’t hesitate to check out our dedicated features linked below.
The triumphant festivities haven’t been limited to a single event or a single watch, either. Vacheron Constantin has marked the occasion with a wide array of timepieces that celebrate the milestone in style. From the gloriously minimalistic Patrimony line to the refined yet often showstopping Traditionnelle collection, each commemorative release has been a reminder of the brand’s unwavering commitment to excellence. But the celebration hasn’t stopped at the product level — it’s gone global. Whether hosting the grand re-opening of their Melbourne boutique or bringing their international exhibition The Quest from Abu Dhabi to Sydney, Vacheron Constantin’s 270th birthday party has been elegant, extravagant, and — thankfully — is still far from over.
Learn more about Vacheron Constantin here!
Arnold & Son
Though Arnold & Son isn’t known for bombast — their strength lies in quiet elegance rather than over-the-top statement pieces — that hasn’t stopped them from surprising the watch world and coming out swinging in the first half of 2025. “We will keep coming up with stunning products in the future, and especially at Watches and Wonders 2025!” said Managing Director Pascal Béchu in an interview with Watch Advice. As it turns out, he wasn’t exaggerating — they delivered.
Related Reading: In Person With Pascal Béchu, Managing Director of Arnold & Son and Angelus
At first, Arnold & Son’s early 2025 releases continued to do what the brand does best: pay tribute to the life and legacy of horological icon John Arnold. True to form, these weren’t without their design quirks — take, for example, the Perpetual Moon rendition celebrating the Year of the Snake. But it was really Pascal Béchu’s bold proclamation that resonated with watch fans everywhere: a promise of even more stunning creations to come. This has been a promise that, so far, they’ve kept with serious authority.
The Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11, unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2025, marked a major turning point for the Anglo-Swiss watchmaker. Drawing on the shared legacy of John Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet — who together are credited with the invention of the tourbillon — the watch showcased the very best of what Arnold & Son is truly capable of. While they may not produce watches at the same volume as the industry’s biggest players, this release still turned plenty of heads and signalled that the brand is very much back in a big way. And if my hunch is right, we’re not done yet — I wouldn’t be surprised if Arnold & Son has at least one more major drop lined up before we close out 2025.
Learn more about Arnold & Son here!
Christopher Ward
Christopher Ward has been making waves for quite some time now, and it’s fair to say they’ve been covered extensively by just about every media outlet with even a passing interest in horology. Still, that doesn’t take away from what we’ve seen the Anglo-Swiss brand achieve in the first half of 2025. Christopher Ward is one of modern watchmaking’s great success stories — a brand that, in just a few short years, has racked up an impressive list of achievements and shows no signs of slowing down.
Even with expectations rising year after year — especially following their GPHG win in 2023 — Christopher Ward continues to deliver. 2025 began with the brand reinforcing its core collections, including fresh updates to the C60 Trident Reef and the C65 Dune. The refinement continued with new additions like the Twelve in a 36mm size, suggesting we were in for another year of quiet fine-tuning. That is, until the first quarter came to an unexpected halt.
Why? Because Christopher Ward hit pause on the predictable to make a serious statement of intent. Enter the C12 Loco: a watch unlike anything the brand had released before. While it borrows the silhouette of the Twelve, the similarities ended there. The Loco features an off-centre display of indexes and hands, powered by an in-house movement with a visible open-wheel escapement. It’s a staggering piece of watchmaking; The kind of design you’d expect from brands like Czapek or Breguet, not one with Christopher Ward’s pricing pedigree.
Was it crazy? Absolutely. Industry-defining? Maybe. But one thing’s for sure: if you’re not watching what Christopher Ward does next, you might miss something special.
Learn more about Christopher Ward here!
Breguet
Breguet has long been a team favourite here at Watch Advice, and honestly, it’s not hard to see why. We’re all watch nerds through and through, and while spotting a Breguet in the wild is a rare occasion, one thing remains absolutely true: Breguet represents one of the purest expressions of horology today. History? They’ve got it in spades, thanks to their direct lineage to the legendary Abraham-Louis Breguet. Mechanics? Without question — the brand continues to produce its own movements to this day. And aesthetics? Sure, that’s always subjective, but come on — tell me you wouldn’t fall in love with at least one of their pieces.
And while we’ve certainly sung Breguet’s praises before, the first half of 2025 has marked one of the most impressive runs we’ve ever seen from the storied Swatch Group brand. You’d expect nothing less, of course — this year celebrates the 250th anniversary of Breguet’s founding. And while the festivities kicked off with releases like the Classique Year of the Snake Limited Edition and the abstract yet compelling Classique Souscription 2025, the momentum has only built from there.
In what feels like a rare but welcome crescendo for the brand, Breguet has dropped one masterstroke after another — each paying tribute to a different chapter of its rich legacy. From the Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035, to the revamped Type XX Chronographe 2075, and the absolutely breathtaking Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255, Breguet is in full celebration mode — and it’s thrilling to witness. At this rate, it’s anyone’s guess what they’ll release next. One thing’s for sure though: we’re in for one hell of a ride.
Learn more about Breguet here!
While I could go on and on about more brands, I think you get the picture here that there are some real bangers coming out this year, in what is a pretty pivotal year for many brands. Who do you think has made a mark this year? Any standouts in your mind outside of what I have covered here? Drop a comment below…